Skills
Skills are traits that a character can learn giving them the power to do something competently. Skills can be improved with training or experience. They include the talents that identify a character archetype and are the attributes that allow you to test against for certain feats. Climbing, languages, gambling, haggling over prices, and socializing are all examples of skills. Note skills can degrade if not usedBasic Set pg 294 while Taking Extra Time can improve effective skillBasic Set pg 346. Skill Level Meanings In general skill levels translate to: * Unskilled (default users): 7 or less * Feeble (beginners, humorous bumblers): 8-9 * Average (most non-job skills for ordinary folks): 10-11 * Competent (most job skills for ordinary folks): 12-13 * Exceptional/Expert (the most seasoned of ordinary folks): 14-16 * Heroic (extraordinary world-class experts): 17-19 * Master: 20 - 25; it is counter productive to go for a skill this high. Time (and points) is better spent in “subsidiary” skills, related advantages, or Techniques. ** Larger-than-Life (top experts from all of history): 20-21 ** Legendary ("typical" mythic figures): 22-23 ** Superhuman (outstanding mythic figures): 24-26In 3e the term "Wizard" was used for 25+; it was likely removed due to possible confusion with "Wizard" meaning spell caster. ** Godlike (greatest mythic figures, gods, etc.): 27 or more Important Note "Your unmodified skill level is called your base skill. It measures your odds of success at an “average” task under adventuring conditions – in other words, in a stressful situation where the consequences of failure are significant."Basic Set pg 171 This means that a skill level does not relate to the depth of knowledge in the skill. Skill Cost Table Task Difficulty Modifier It should be mentioned that many times there will be modifiers to the Success roll which results in an effective skill level. For example, you don't need a high Driving skill to start a car but you would need one to drive at high speeds while shooting out the window. Defaults You can't have a default from a default. For example if you only know Shortsword at default you do not get the -3 cross default for Saber or Smallsword but rather have to use the DX default. As a quick rule of thumb if a skill has an attribute default it is as follows: Note: always check a specific skill as there are exceptions to the rule of thumb. For example, Thaumatology (IQ/Very Hard) has a default of IQ-7 but only in settings where magic is known or has been seen by the character; otherwise it has no attribute default Racially Learned Skills Racially Learned Skills are bought from a race's normal attributes. So if the Race has DX 11 (DX+1) then racial Stealth 15 would cost 4 points. Note that individuals with different attributes will have their racial learned skill adjusted accordingly. So a character of the example above has DX 12 their Stealth will be 16. Also racial learned skills improve as if the skill was bought normally so for the example race Stealth 16 would cost 4 points not 1. See Also * Complementary Skills * List of Skills * Skills From 3e That Don't Exist in 4e * Wildcard Skills and GURPS Power-Ups 7: Wildcard Skills * Attribute * Advantage and List of Advantages * Disadvantage and List of Disadvantages * Techniques References Category:Skills